Fatherhood
by magsofthemuses
Summary: Trunks contemplates fatherhood. Short.


Minako was sleeping, curled up in their bed, when Trunks got home. For a moment he was relieved, he didn't enjoy the hurt looks she'd give him when he'd come home so late but it was quickly replaced by regret that he'd probably be gone again before she woke.

Her swollen belly moved in the gentle rhythm of sleep and yet... Trunks carefully let his senses settle over his wife's form. Someone else was awake.

It was a strange sensation, feeling a life that held no thoughts of it's own and yet felt what could almost be described as the most basic of emotions. It had bothered him for a long time, smelling the child in her skin, on her breath, a combination of him and her swirled together to form something new.

Even when he did come home early enough to see Minako he'd try to find an excuse to avoid their bed.

"Am I ugly now?" Minako had asked a few weeks ago, "Is that it? I'm too fat?"

"What? No, you're beautiful," Trunks gave her a quick peck on the lips. They trembled.

"Then why do you never sleep with me anymore? It's making me feel like you don't want me," her voice broke into a sob. Trunks gathered her into his arms and apologized, promising that he was just tired, just stressed with work and it would all settle down soon. She'd see.

It was more than that though. He couldn't stand to be near their child. No expecting mother wanted to hear _that_ from their baby's father so he swore to keep it to himself. He should have figured his mother would catch on.

"Why are you avoiding your wife?" Bulma demanded, almost slamming the door on Trunks' fingers.

"Uhh, what-" he sputtered, stumbling away from his mother's waving finger.

"You really are just like your father! He avoided me like I had the plague when I was pregnant with you as well! Damn saiyan men, no damn manners at all!"

Bulma paused, she expected a little more back talk from her son at this point but he had simply wilted into a chair.

"What is it?" Worry crept into her voice.

"I don't know if I can do this," Trunks admitted, "I don't know if I can be a good father."

"Oooh Trunks," Bulma shook her head, "we all have those feelings but you just have to trust that when the time comes you'll make the right choices. You've made most of them until this point."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm waging a never-ending battle against myself," Trunks ran his fingers through his hair, "there's so much anger and need and just, I guess, saiyan-ness in me that I'm afraid to pass on. What sort of bloodline is this to bring a child into? How can I be a father to a little kid when the father's in our family have such a bad track record?"

"Are you saying that because your dad was hard on you think you're going to be a bad dad?" Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"He wanted something saiyan in me that I didn't seem to have, I always felt like I was letting him down when I was kid and so I had to work harder than anyone else around me-OW!" Trunks glowered at his mom as he staggered away from her swatting hand.

"You idiot, Goten didn't get to meet his father until he was seven and then his father took off to fly around the world only dropping in occasionally. Do you see him being an absentee father?"

"Well, no-"

"Has your father ever once made you feel like he didn't love you?"

"I... I guess not."

"Has he ever let you down? Never come back? Broken a promise?"

"No..."

His mother smiled, "Those sound like pretty good examples to follow. So your father is a little, um, crass and different and for all his faults and wrongs in his life the two things he did do right with all his heart were you and your sister."

Trunks cheeks started to burn with embarrassment.

"Oh, I... Guess your right."

"Of course I am. Who do you think shaped him into the excellent specimen that he is?"

His mother always had a talent for making him feel foolish. He'd been so wrapped up in focusing on what he was going to wrong that he'd forgotten he had everything with him to do it right. He had love in his life and what did a child need more than love? Well, besides diapers, food and a place to sleep but those were the easy parts.

_"Just wait until she starts to fly..._

Trunks sank onto the bed next to his wife and gently brushed a lock of golden hair out of her face.

Minako's eyes opened: "Trunks?"

He smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead, "Yes, my love?"

"It's time."

**END  
**


End file.
